Island



(No Model.)

J. T.- THORNTON. BUTTON.

No. 415,659. Patented Nov. 19, 1889.

av T J UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICiL;

JONATHAN T. THORNTON, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

BUTTON.

v SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 415,659, datedNovember 19, 1889.

- Application filed March 22, 1889 Serial No. 304,376. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JONATHAN T. THORNTON, of the city of Providence, inthe county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Shirt Buttons or Studs; and I do herebydeclare that the following specification, taken in connection with thedrawings making a part of the same, is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, in which- Figure 1 represents my improved button,showing the position of the arms as in use. Fig. 2 represents the same,showing the arms in position ready to be inserted into abuttonhole of agarment. Fig. 3 represents the under surface of the disk, through whichthe two arms are held and operated in their relative position to eachother. Figs. .4, 5, 6, and 7 are detailed parts. Figs. 8 and 9 representanother form of arms that may be used in connection with theswivel-joint, which I do not deem necessary to describe in thisspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in shirt buttons or studs which aredesigned for ordinary button-holes in wearing-apparel; and it consistsin the arrangement of operatingarms, to be attached on the under surfaceof the front plate of a button or stud that in their operation inconnection with a swiveljoint they may be held firmly in position insecuring the but-ton in the button-hole of a garment, as hereinafterdescribed.

Heretofore buttons or studs have been made in various ways, with springsin connection with operating-catches, a construction objectionable 011several accounts, being more or less complicated, increasing theliability of getting out of order, and adding expense to themanufacture. It has been my object to make a button or stud not open tothese objections. This I first accomplished by forming aswivel-joint'with two narrow operatingarms, for which improvementLetters Patent of the United States were granted to me May 6, 1873, No.138,595. Inasmuch as a button with narrow arms (referred to) is moreadapted in its use to eyelet-holes, I have further im- To enable othersskilled in the art to manufacture and use my invention, Iwill proceed todescribe its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings, A, Figs. 1 and 2, represents the frontplate of an ordinary button.

B and B are the two arms, each of which may be made from a single blank,similar in shape, as shown in Fig. 5, and bent or formed in a die at anangle shown in the same figure. The lower or connecting end is bent inthe form of a hook and provided with a small recess 0' near the bend. Onthe opposite edge a small tooth-like projection is made for a catch inholding the two arms from swinging too easily when in use.

C, Fig. 3, represents the disk through which the arms extend and areheld to the front plate A, and D,Fig. 6, is a round connectingplateprovided with a small projection 6 upon its peripheral surface andhaving two narrow holes cut through near its center, leaving a centralcross-bar of a suitable length for the width of the two arms B andB,which may be connected side by side in passing and closing each hookend around said cross-bar, so that the angular bent endv of each maystand in opposite directions when set in use, by which arrangement saidarms may be made to swing as on a pivot.

The disk 0 is so constructed with a concentric depression-upon the innerside in connection with a depressed segment of a circle of a larger sizeto receive the conn ecting-plate D, with its projection e, and having asuitably-shaped hole out through :its center for the purpose of theswinging arms B and B to be operated therein.

In the construction of my improved button the arms B and B beingarranged upon the central cross-bar of plate D,the free ends of saidarms are passed through the hole in the disk 0. The plate D,with itsprojection e, is made to enter the concentric depression of the saiddisk O, the projection e resting in the depressed segment of theenlargedcircle of the aforesaid disk. The cap A is fitted over the top and itsedge turned inward in holding the different parts together for theworking of the button. It may be plainly seen that by this arrangementthe arms B and B may be set in the position shown in Fig. 2 for enteringa button-hole of a garment, and while in the act of pressing themthrough the tendency of the button-hole sides is to swing the arms inposition, as shown in Fig. 1, previous to locking. The depressed segmentof the enlarged circle of disk C forms a passage for the working ofprojection e, and,

in connection with said projection, serves as a check to the arms B andB, with plate D, from the swiveling or inturning beyond thedividing-lines for their two extreme positions. In locking the twoswinging arms B and 13 they are swiveled or turned in position, asrepresented by dotted lines in Fig. 4:. An eccentric edge portion ofdisk 0, as formed by the hole from its center on either side, is made toenter in the recess 1" of said arms B and B, thus holding their extendedends parallel with the front plate A and firmly in position as in use.

In removing the button from the garment in which it is applied the armsare swiveled or turned in an opposite direction to which they wereturned for locking. The button may then be easily withdrawn.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is

The recessed arms B and B, connected to plate D, with its projection e,in combination with front plate A and disk 0, said disk beingconstructed with a concentric and segment depression for the operationof plate D therein, all as arranged for swiveling and locking the armsin their relative positions, substantially as described, and for thepurpose set forth.

JONATHAN T. THORNTON.

Witnesses:

WALTER H. BARNEY, CHARLES L. SPENCER.

